1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an electric connection box in which tab terminal portions of bus bars, forming a branch circuit, are connected to male terminal portions of a relay through female-female-type relay terminals.
2. Related Art
FIGS. 7 to 10 show a conventional electric connection box of the type described. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, in this electric connection box 1, a convex support seat 3 is formed integrally on a bus bar-mounting board 2 forming part of a connection box body. Cross-shaped partition ribs 3b are integrally formed on and project from an upper surface 3a of the support seat 3, and a plurality of tab terminal portions 4a of bus bars 4 project outwardly from the upper surface 3a, partitioned by the ribs 3b, in an exposed manner. A lower end 5a of a female-female-type relay terminal 5 is connected to each tab terminal portion 4a. The bus bar-mounting board 2 and the plurality of relay terminals 5 are covered with an upper cover 6.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, a box-like relay block 7 is integrally formed on and projects from that portion of the upper cover 6 to be opposed to the support seat 3 on the bus bar-mounting board 2. A plurality of terminal insertion ports 7b of a rectangular shape are formed through a top plate portion 7a of the relay block 7, and a plurality of male terminal portions 9, projecting into the interior of a hood portion 8a of a flasher relay 8, are adapted to be inserted into the terminal insertion ports 7b, respectively. When the hood portion 8a of the flasher relay 8 is fitted on the relay block 7 of the upper cover 6, the male terminal portions 9 of the flasher relay 8 pass respectively through the terminal insertion ports 7b in the relay block 7, and are connected respectively to upper ends 5b of the relay terminals 5.
Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication Hei. 1-69314 discloses a technique analogous to the electric connection box 1 in which the support seat 3 is integrally formed on and projects from the bus bar-mounting board 2.
In the above conventional electric connection box 1, however, the support seat 3 for seating the plurality of relay terminals 5 thereon is integrally formed on and projects from the bus bar-mounting board 2, and therefore the upper cover 6 must be mounted to cover the relay terminals 5 after the relay terminals 5 are connected respectively to the tab terminal portions 4a projecting from the upper surface of the support seat 3 on the bus bar-mounting board 2. And besides, tilt prevention ribs can not be formed at opposite side portions of the upper surface 3a of the support seat 3, and therefore those relay terminals 5, disposed at the opposite side portions, are tilted, so that the upper cover 6 can not be easily mounted on the bus bar-mounting board.
Furthermore, during the time when the upper cover 6 is mounted to cover the relay terminals 5, the relay block 7 of the upper cover 6 can be scraped by the upper edges of the relay terminals 5, and also the relay block 7 can strike against the relay terminals 5 to deform the same, and if the upper cover 6 is mounted to cover such deformed relay terminals 5, there is a possibility that a disadvantage, such as an incomplete electrical connection, is encountered.
FIG. 11 shows another conventional construction in which L-shaped tab terminal portions 4a of bus bars 4 project from an upper surface 3a of a support seat 3', and in this case the upper surface 3a can not serve as a sufficient seat surface for the relay terminals 5, and therefore it has been difficult to properly seat the relay terminals 5 on this seat surface.